Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-03-03
TEE rRsEDosr or LABOR.



what Mayor Hewltt wrote 40 the |
Southern Haen.
In Mayor Hewitt's letter explaining his
inability to be present at the first dinner
given BY the new Southern Society Of
New York Tuesday night week in Hotel
Brunswick, which was attended by some
800 men of southern birth, he wrote as
follows,
send you my fluctuations ON the
great change which has taken place in the
feelings Of the north aud south toward
each other since | entered public life
twelve years ago. think the era Of bad
feeling has passed forever; and the time
has now arrived when any attempt 10
revive sectional differences ID looked
upon rs contemplate or ridiculous. This
cordially OF feeling, sure TO come with
the lapse OF time, has been FASTENED by
the extraordinary development OF in
dustrial enterprise in the south since its
labor was eniranchised, There was but
one exception in the Constitution M origi-
pally formed to the guarantee of personal
liberty 10 every citizen, and the result on
the fortunes Of tue north and south was
most marked and is now apparent to
tN1Ay VI fphhAeot "aNA1 --eSA
IL free and the citizen may dispose of his
time and effort Us he sees fit, progress,
even where natural resources are few, is
inevitable. The growth of New England
in wealth and industry Is Q marked proof
that freedom OF action Ia more neces-
sary to progress than the natural resour-
ces upon which human industry Ia based.
New England possesses neither mines of
"a 40
and yet she has constructed railways,
canals, factories and great industrial
ablishments, which are not surpassed
In any part of the world. Her wealth is
proverbial. The south, on the other
hand, weighed down with labor which
was not free, practically limited its
energies to the production of single
article which placed the planter in bond
age to the factor just as the black man
was In bondage TO the planter. The re-
sources of the south in coal and iron and
the other useful metals were perfectly
well known before the civil war. called
attention to them as early as 1865, and
predicted then the development which is
now going on, almost miraculous in its
extent and rapidity. suppose the DEM
onstration is complete, even to every
southern man, that the liberty Of the
citizen is essential to the prosperity of
society. And yet while IL demonstra-
ton has been going on before our eyes o
retrograde movement has been inaugu-
rated in the north looking TO the enslsve-
ment of the citizen and the destruction of
all right to free action except 80 far as
may be exercised in the choice of ire
sponsible agents to whom a secret organ
ization sees fit to intrust power.
Within the last few weeks we have seen
large bodies of men, confessing they had
| no grievances, deliberately quit work on
the order Of secret tribunal, whose power
they dare not call in question, of whom
every man stood in dread. 1t is incred-
| ible that in the north, where the fruits OF
free government and Of the personal right
Of each man to employ himself according
to his own will have been so conspic,
ously demonstrated by the growth of 9
hundred years, any man would be willing
to sacrifice his personal Independence
and yield it to ignorant, selfish and IN
scrupulous leaders, using this power only
for their personal advantage. Indeed
such tyranny would never have beer
possible but for the ingenious and danger
GUS heresy which made it possible fol
men to refuse to work with other mer
who have not seen fit to join these seore
organizations. Society never contem-
plated that this power would be exerci sec
so as practically TO reduce any portion o
the workmen of the land to the condition
of not being able to get work upon any
terms whatever except the compuls jr,
membership with organizations governed
by secret and irresponsible tribunal
When men who are seeking work fine
that there is only one condition upoI
which they can get it, they must surIen
der their private views and their persona
independence to the necessities of thu
case. The sacrifice having been made
the power Of the leaders becomes abso
Lutte.
We all sympathize with the working
men of the country and are glad that th,
wages of labor are steadily on the in
crease. We rejoice that capital has 81
increased that it daily becomes cheape
to those who are compelled to borrow it
because labor profits when the cost o
capital is reduced Blt .As benefit whicl
would thus under natural ID accrue t
, the great mass Of the people latgnl...,
, not entirely, neutralized by the losses o
compulsory strikes and enforced idlent IS
No one would interfere with the right Q
; free association on the part of any elias
of our citizens. On the contrary, sue
| associations are to be encouraged up t
the point where they undertake TO Dc
: prive the citizen of his personal liberty.
At this point not only the constitutio
1 of the country is attacked but its progress
in wealth will be checked, and all inceI
| tives to special effort in order TO achiey
the larger rewards due to skill and geniu
. will be arrested. Hence you of the scout
and we Of the north must take firm IN
, decided position, that under no circuu
: stances will we permit the labor of th
citizen to be enslaved and that, if add
! tional legislation is required to meet tn
, new and pernicious movement, wbic
would relegate the north to the conditio
! in which the south was before the war
{ regard to its labor, no time should |
r lost in securing its enactment. There
n no doubt that revision of the laws
4 lating to employment is necessary, aut
i while have abundant faith in the goc
i sense of our people and in the utt,
4 failure of oil class movements which al
4 at war with the fundamental principle
of the constitution, my experience hi
Il taught me that the safeguard Of the law
i absolutely essential for the security
i. society, and that the enforcement of Il
law is the best guarantee of the stabiliI
a of industry and the equitable Distribute
4 of wealth.
1